THE NEW OFSTED INSPECTION FRAMEWORK - NUT MEMBER GUIDANCE: FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

SEPTEMBER 2009

What’s new about the inspection framework?

There are a number of new features in the inspection framework which OFSTED will use from September 2009 onwards. These include differentiated inspection cycles for individual schools based on their performance, more emphasis on pupil attainment, more time spent on classroom observation, the involvement of the head teacher in inspection team activities and specific recommendations about how schools can improve in inspection reports. More information about all of these can be found in this document.

What determines the timing of my school’s inspection?

From September 2009, the inspection cycle will be differentiated according to your school’s previous inspection performance and a yearly assessment of its subsequent performance. An Annual Assessment will be undertaken for all schools by OFSTED, which will focus on schools’ published results for examinations, attendance etc and the views of parents and pupils. This will be used to help determine the inspection schedule for individual schools.

Schools judged by OFSTED to be ‘outstanding’ or ‘good’ will receive an inspection visit every five years, with an Interim Assessment report published after three years, unless OFSTED has specific concerns about performance, safeguarding and/or welfare or the school is part of a statutory hard federation, thereby making it necessary to inspect all the schools in thefederation at the same time.

Any school categorised as a special school, Pupil Referral Unit or a school with residential provision for 0-3 year old children which receives an ‘outstanding’ or ‘good’ grade will be inspected every three years, as OFSTED believes that it cannot rely on the Annual Assessment to judge standards in these schools.

Schools which are judged to be ‘satisfactory’ at their previous inspection will be inspected every three years, although approximately 40 per centof these schools will receive an interim monitoring visit if their progress is judged to be static or in decline by the Annual Assessment.

Schools judged ‘inadequate’ in their overall effectiveness will continue to receive monitoring visits and be inspected after a specific period dependant upon whether they have been categorised as in ‘special measures’ or given a ‘notice to improve’.

Inspections can take place at any point after the end of the first complete week of the Autumn term. If a nursery or primary school has a new intake of pupils at the start of the Spring or Summer term, OFSTED will not inspect in the first full week of term.

Will I be observed teaching by the inspectors?

A higher proportion of inspectors’ time, up to double that in the current inspection framework, will be spent on classroom observation. Various models of observation will be used such as “short” observations of less than 20 minutes, part lesson observations of 25 – 30 minutes, “long” observations of one hour or more as well as trailing a class or group of pupils over a school day or part of a day. Both core and foundation subject lessons will be inspected.

Will I have the opportunity to give my views about the school to inspectors?

As well as any formal interviews with inspectors which you might be asked to participate in, a staff questionnaire is available to gather the views of staff. Its use is at the discretion of the head teacher and participation in the staff survey is voluntary. Questionnaires should be completed and handed to the lead inspector by the end of the first day of inspection. The views of staff are used to help inspectors plan the inspection but they are not normally reported in the inspection report.

Inspectors may also give a short briefing to staff at the start of the inspection, at the discretion of the head teacher, but this would be used to provide information about the inspection process rather than used to seek staff views.

The NUT has welcomed the introduction of the staff questionnaire, in particular the sections relating to access to professional development and the extent of staff involvement in school development and self evaluation activities. The NUT advises members to, via their school representative, request a staff meeting to discuss the new inspection arrangements and to press the head teacher to use the OFSTED staff questionnaire.

Members are further advised to complete such questionnaires in a factual way. Responses to the open-ended section at the end of the survey should be detailed, specific and based on direct experiences rather than contain generalisations. Overall, members should try to take a realistic view of the school’s work in terms of the resources that have been available to it. They should not be based on an unrealistic view of what the school might do given unlimited resources.

My head teacher seems to be spending a lot of time with the inspectors – why?

As well as the joint observations head teacher may undertake with inspectors, heads or their nominee are now also invited to attend the formal inspection team meetings each day. At these meetings, the head teacher will be able to comment on conflicting evidence and suggest further sources of evidence if necessary. He or she will not, however, be able to negotiate with the inspection team on its final judgement.

Protocols have been established by OFSTED to clarify who can be invited to participate in what and to confirm that these joint activities are voluntary and that there is no requirement for head teachers and senior leaders to accept the invitations. Further information and guidance is available in the document “OFSTED School Inspections 2009: Guidance for Head teachers”, which is available to download from the NUT website

My school does not have good test or exam results - will we automatically fail?

Judgements on the quality of learning will now give more emphasis to “attainment”, or the standard of pupils’ work as shown by test and examination results, including in relation to the national expectations for “average” pupil performance. OFSTED is clear that expectations for this aspect of the inspection framework have been raised and that a school cannot be “good” if pupils are not doing well.

OFSTED has told the NUT that pupil progress and “value added” data will still be considered as part of the inspection judgement and that schools which demonstrate “good” progress could still receive a “good” judgement even if absolute levels of attainment are below the national average, such as in National Challenge schools.

In addition, OFSTED has identified three ‘limiting’ judgements: if pupils’ achievement is judged to be inadequate; if schools are not promoting equality and tackling discrimination (including different groups of pupils’ academic performance) adequately; and if safeguarding arrangements are inadequate, schools’ overall effectiveness is likely to be judged ‘inadequate’.

How will I know when my school will be inspected?

The Inspection Service Provider (ISP) or contractor will telephone your school to inform you when the inspection will take place. The maximum notice of inspection is two days. Most schools receive one and a half days’ notice. Within 24 hours of your school being made aware that it is to be inspected, the lead inspector will make contact with your school to talk to the head teacher or most senior member of staff that is available. In the event of serious concerns about the safety or well-being of pupils, inspections can take place without advanced notice.

There will also be “no notice” monitoring visits for schools in an OFSTED category of concern (special measures or notice to improve) and for those “satisfactory” schools which OFSTED deems as needing an interim monitoring visit (see below).

What’s an Interim Assessment Report?

If OFSTED decides that a school previously judged to be “outstanding” or “good” is not to be inspected after three years, OFSTED will publish an Interim Assessment report. This will provide a summary of the school’s published performance data and explain why it will not be inspected in that academic year. The Interim Assessment report will be published after the school has checked it for factual accuracy and the school will be required to send it to parents within five working days of publication, in the same way that schools are required to distribute full inspection reports.

Can my school ask for an inspection to be rescheduled or cancelled?

OFSTED has very strict criteria about the circumstances in which an inspection could be deferred, for example, if the school is closed to all pupils due to a staff training day or the school has been open for less than six months. If the majority of pupils at the school are still receiving education, generally the inspection will go ahead. Inspections would only be cancelled if the school was due to close in the next six months. Members who believe that their school might be eligible for a deferred or cancelled inspection should contact their NUT regional office for advice.

How long does an inspection last?

Inspection teams usually visit schools for no more than two days. A small primary school, for example, could have a one day visit.

Who will inspect my school?

An inspection team comprises a lead inspector and usually one or more additional inspectors, depending on the size of the school. Her Majesty’s Inspectors (HMIs) lead a high proportion of secondary school inspections and a substantial minority of primary school inspections. Other inspections are led by additional inspectors who are recruited, trained and employed directly, or contracted by, inspection service providers (ISPs). Additional inspectors are also team members in most inspections. There are three ISPs: CfBT Education Trust covers the contract area for the North of England, Serco covers the Midlands and Tribal Group the South of England.

Will the inspectors want to talk to me after they have observed my teaching?

OFSTED expects that inspectors offer feedback to teachers on the lessons they have observed. Individual feedback should be offered by inspectors to teachers who have been observed for at least 20 minutes. Where only a small part of a lesson has been observed, inspectors should offer to meet all the teachers concerned and give feedback on general points.

If it is not possible for you to receive feedback as soon as the lesson has ended, the inspector should offer to speak to you, at a time convenient to you, at break or lunch time or before or after school. It should last only a few minutes. Feedback should include a summary of the lesson’s strengths and weaknesses and how it could be improved, as well as the inspector’s judgement on the quality of teaching, learning and any other aspects which are considered pertinent.

Members are advised to use the feedback session as an opportunity to give their point of view and challenge any points with which they disagree in a professionally assertive, rather than defensive, manner.

I have been asked if I would be willing to be observed by both my head teacher and an inspector – should I agree?

Head teachers will usually be invited to undertake at least two “joint observations” (one in small schools). The purpose of these is to assess the quality of their observation skills and evaluations, rather than the quality of your teaching. Feedback to you on the lesson would be given by the inspector, who will also give the head teacher feedback on the accuracy of their judgements.

OFSTED says that joint observations must never be used as part of a disciplinary procedure for the teacher concerned and that the teacher should agree to it beforehand. You have the right to refuse the offer of a joint inspection if you feel that you would rather not participate.

The NUT advises members that they have the right to refuse to participate in joint observations and that they should contact their school representative in the first instance if they feel pressurised to take part.

My school has not been inspected recently but my colleagues and I have been observed a lot – why?

This has come about in many schools because of the joint observations and the OFSTED self evaluation form (SEF). Some head teachers have felt the need to use observation as evidence as their monitoring activities, particularly as, under the new framework, school leaders will now need to provide far more evidence of their own management of teaching and learning and the quality of leadership and management is key when making decisions about placing schools in the “concern” categories.

The OFSTED guidance on inspections is clear, however, that schools should not undertake any activity specifically for inspections, therefore the NUT believes that schools’ regular monitoring procedures and records should be sufficient. NUT guidance on classroom observations is available to download from the NUT website If you are concerned about excessive classroom observation undertaken specifically for the purposes of inspection, you should contact your NUT division for advice.

How will the school’s Early Years Foundation Stage provision orSixth Form be inspected?

The same inspection arrangements and evaluation schedule as outlined above will apply to the Early Years Foundation Stage and the Sixth Form where such provision is managed by the governing body of the school. Any provision which is voluntarily or independently managed will be inspected under separate arrangements.

What kind of documents will the inspectors ask my school to provide?

Apart from the school’s self evaluation form (SEF), which the lead inspector will download from the OFSTED website, schools should only be asked for one electronic copy of each of the following before the inspection begins:

  • the most recent school improvement plan;
  • school timetable information;
  • times for the school day;
  • any information about the school’s (pre-planned) interruption to normal routines; and
  • a staff list.

During the inspection itself, inspectors will be looking to corroborate what the school has said in its SEF. If the school has said that it has developed a new monitoring policy, for example, then it is likely that the inspectors will ask to see it and examples of the record-keeping which accompany it. Inspectors will always ask to see the most recent copy of the School Improvement Partner (SIP) report.

OFSTED says that it does not require any kind of documentation, including lesson plans and policy documents, to be produced specifically for an inspection and that inspectors should not request additional data or information from schools.

If you are being expected to produce documentation for inspection which you believe to be excessive, you should contact your NUT school representative or otherwise seek advice from your NUT division.

Why do I need to prepare special lesson plans for the inspectors?

You do not need to do anything “special” for the inspection. OFSTED does not require a particular format for written lesson plans or lesson plans produced specifically for an inspection. Inspectors will look for evidence of good planning as part of their evaluation of the quality of teaching and learning using a range of evidence, including observing lessons and from pupil outcomes, rather than from scrutiny of individual teachers’ lesson plans. You should continue to meet your school’s regular planning requirements.

NUT guidance on lesson planning is available to download from the NUT website . If you are concerned about excessive planning undertaken specifically for the purposes of inspection, you should contact your NUT division for advice.

How is the School Evaluation Form (SEF) used in school inspections?

The SEF is used to plan the inspection and provides important evidence about the quality of leadership and management and the school’s capacity to improve. During the inspection itself, inspectors will be looking to corroborate what the school has said in its SEF.

Completing the SEF is not compulsory, but schools are “strongly encouraged” by OFSTED to keep their SEFs updated in preparation for the Annual Assessment which will determine when an inspection should be scheduled.

OFSTED advises schools to be selective when deciding which evidence to include: it does not expect to see large amounts of data and descriptive detail.

A new version of the SEF is available online at the OFSTED website but schools are not expected to complete it until the end of 2009. The new SEF has been redesigned to encourage schools to make a brief summary of their evaluations using the OFSTED grade descriptors. It also lists the types of evidence that inspectors may wish to see for each of the sections.

NUT members are advised to refer only to a reasonable level of existing evidence. New evidence, specifically for the inspection, should not be required by inspectors. If inspectors demand additional evidence which the school considers to be unreasonable, the OFSTED Complaints Helpline (see below) should be contacted and advice sought from NUT Regional Office.